Raindrops in the Wind
by Sweets5236
Summary: A collection of one-shots centered around the couples created by J.K. that we all know and love. The first scene is set with Lily and James. Who knows where it will take off from there. For The Ultimate One Shot Challenge.


Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

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Title: Raindrops in the Wind

Prompt Uses:Fire/Wind/Thunder/There's love behind every 'I hate you'/ "Why do I always believe you?"

Pairing: Lily/James

Genre: Romance

Rating: K

Word Count: 1475

Chapter Goal: 30

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There was a roaring fire, right in the front of the room, sparks coming off it harmlessly. Reds and oranges and the occasional blue leaping and bounding over each other, emitting little popping sounds along the way. This little noise, this familiar sound, had competition. Thunder would boom every few minutes, drowning out it's feeble crackles. Every other second was the steady 'tap-tap-tapping' of rain against the windows. It raged on nonetheless. This fire heated the circular area, just enough to keep the chilled air away. It highlighted the reds and gold that had danced themselves through the decorations around it.

Facing said fire was a large couch, a warm maroon couch that sunk in once you sat in it. It was wide with a tall back that had a golden stitched blanket thrown over it. Dozens of little pillows lined the piece of furniture, adding to its comfort.

Sitting on the couch was a young girl, no older than seventeen, gazing out the stained glass windows surrounding her. The room was dark, nothing but the glow of the fire to give her a clue as to what was around her. She had her knees tucked up to her chest, her overly large sweater bunching around her small form. In that moment she was the picture of serenity. Her emerald eyes were clear and pure, her breaths steady and deliberate, her hands resting lightly against her calves. On the outside she was calm and in control, on the inside was turmoil.

The thunder boomed once more, sending shocks through the world around it, and she jumped, squeezing her eyes shut in the process. The serenity was broken, but only for a second. She relaxed and her breathing deepened. BOOM. It pounded down upon her again, this time the wind accompanying. The two sounds swirled together in some kind of twisted dance, one she was not fond of. The howling and the pounding and even the harmless pitter- patter of the rain caused her pulse to rush. It was getting harder to keep calm, to keep her steady expression and stance. She kept her eyes closed.

"Are you okay?"

The voice broke through the cocoon of comfort she had been trying to build, causing her to jump higher than ever and slap her hand over her mouth to stop the little scream that had been resting there. Her head whipped around, fiery locks following and eyes blazing. Her fierce gaze softened at the sight of the ruffled boy before her. His black locks stuck up farther than usual, something she didn't think could happen, and his glasses sat crookedly on his nose. He was in his pajamas, Gryffindor boxers and an old Quidditch t-shirt.

"I hate you, James Potter," she breathed softly. She turned back around and pulled her knees up closer to her body. She went back to staring at the drops streaking down the windows. She heard him come around to her side of the couch and sit down at the other end.

"You don't mean that, Lily Evans."

"And why do you think that?" she asked, turning her head to face him. He scooted towards her, coming rather close. Their shoulders were touching. For some reason she didn't mind. Perhaps it was because every time the thunder pounded she'd have someone next to her.

"I can hear it, you know. There's love behind every 'I hate you'. It's in there, you just have to listen," his face was deadly serious. She refrained from answering for she saw none of that little smirk that annoyed her so badly. His hazel eyes held honesty, and she nearly believed him. She was snapped out of this reverence at the next shaking roar of thunder that crashed into the already atrocious wind. Her eyes squeezed shut. She felt his hand travel to her own that was clutching the material of her red pajama pants. She let him hold it, just to have the knowledge that someone else was there.

"It will be over soon," he breathed, his voice close, closer than she had expected it to be. She merely nodded, staying focused, rather, on images of sunshine and green leaves. Quiet hills dotted with lavender lilies and little dandelions. That sounded awfully nice.

Lily squeezed her eyes shut even tighter when she felt James' breath even closer to her face. Why was he getting closer to her? She was obviously terrified out her her mind. Thunderstorms were something she had been weary of since she was a child. It seemed that as the years went by, the worse her fear got. From what she understood, it was supposed to be the opposite. She didn't know why she was so scared, she didn't understand. It was a noise. What kind of auror would she be if she was afraid of a little noise?

Suddenly, she felt the rough tips of his fingers brush her skin, right beneath her eye. She flinched back, but he didn't remove his hand.

"You shouldn't do that you know, scrunch your eyes like that, it'll give you wrinkles," he murmured. She slowly opened them, the lines instantly smoothing. "Better," he grinned. "You know I meant it though, it will be over soon,"

At the sound of his soothing voice, Lily's body slowly relaxed. Why should she be listening to him, though? Perhaps it was because, in those moments, he was the only thing she had. One wrong word and he'd be gone, back to his room and she'd be left alone.

The wind and the thunder were still there, but in the background, barely noticeable. It would be over soon after all. She let out a long sigh, her worries flowing beside it. She twisted her neck a bit, undoing the kink that had been there. She shifted around until she was comfortable and laid her head on James' shoulder. He was just sitting there, she figured she might as well.

"I know it's not just the storm you're scared of, Lily," he spoke. He squeezed the hand he was holding a bit and used his other to brush across her hair, smoothing the tangles in it. "You may not realize it, but I know you, and I know a little bit of wind and thunder can't do this to you,"

"You think you know everything," she whispered. No malice or spite in her voice, just her honest opinion. She felt him chuckle.

"Sometimes, I guess. Not always though,"

"Tell me," she yawned, beginning to get tired.

"Tell you what?" he asked, confusion laced through his tone.

"What you know, right now, in this moment."

Time seemed to slow around them and Lily's mind was opened at her own words. What did she know? Her mind was opened to all of the laughs they had shared, all the time they had spent patrolling the halls together, all of the moments when she'd look at him and see a flash of what he had been telling her he felt for years and years. Love. Sometimes, just sometimes, she thought she felt that flash too. A flash just like the lightning that was followed by the thunder. While they sat there, it erupted inside of her, it wasn't a flash, this time is stayed. She didn't know how long it would stay and she didn't know how it was staying, but she found she didn't mind.

"This very minute?" he asked. He felt her nod against him. "I know that you love the light, and nights like this, when it's dark and loud and crashing, you're scared. You're scared because in the dark you can't see everything, you can't see what they're doing. The ones in the masks and the long black cloaks. You feel lost. I know because I know you. I also know that no, you don't hate me Lily Evans. If you hated me you wouldn't let me be sitting here with you right now. I know this storm will stop soon, by morning probably, and if not by dinner time tomorrow. I know that you're safe here, because I'm here and I'd never let anything happen to you. I know that for us, it'll all be okay. I know you'll come around, Lily Evans. That's what I know,"

They sat there silently for a long time. The wind and the thunder and the little crackling of the fire making a score of music behind them. Three elements of the world colliding harshly. Lily didn't hear any of it though. What she did hear was the faint sound of James' breathing, and what she thought, was the beating of his heart, not for from where her ear was. Then she spoke.

"Why do I always believe you?"

Because he was right, he was nearly always right. For them? It would be okay.

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End file.
